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India Supreme Court restrains politician and Hindu organization in a plea against hate speech – JURIST

The Supreme Court of India issued a restraining order on Wednesday against T. Raja Singh, a political leader and Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) affiliated with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as well as the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti organization, prohibiting them from engaging in incitement to violence or hate speech during their proposed rallies. The court’s directive came during the consideration of several petitions addressing concerns related to hate speech.The court, in its short order, noted the individuals including Singh are not part of the current writ petition but urged authorities to be vigilant against incitement to violence or hate speech. The court directed that the district administration and police in the proposed rally places of Yavatmal, Maharashtra, and Raipur, Chhattisgarh, should acknowledge the allegations and take necessary actions. The court directed that the police “install CCTV cameras and recording facilities so that the perpetrators are identified and are punished.”Earlier in January, a criminal complaint was filed against BJP legislators Singh and Nitesh Rane, along with others, for alleged hate speeches during a ‘Hindu Jan Aakrosh’ (“Hindus’ Anger”) rally in Solapur, Maharashtra. The rally, attended by leaders of Sakal Hindu Samaj, saw inflammatory remarks from Rane about “jihadis” and mosque demolitions, while Singh made objectionable statements on “love jihad”. ‘Love Jihad’ is an alleged plot by Muslims to entrap Hindu women and convert them to Islam through relationships. The conservative ruling party repeatedly invokes the alleged threat of ‘Love Jihad’ for electoral gains. Charges against the legislators include creating enmity between groups based on religion and deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings, among others.Singh is a controversial figure in Indian politics infamous for his hate speech against Muslims in India. He was suspended from his party in August 2022 following one such incident of hate speech; however, his suspension was revoked in October 2023.Hate speech remains a persistent issue in India, exacerbated by the widespread availability of the internet and inadequate regulation of both online and offline hate speech. The ease of disseminating hate speech has led to a proliferation of such incidents. The problem becomes particularly concerning when hate speech by leaders from the ruling party goes unpunished, highlighting a need for more robust measures to address and deter such offenses.